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Kemper Museum is a free art museum in Kansas City, Missouri that presents global contemporary art.

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Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art acknowledges it resides on the ancestral territory of the Osage, Kaw, and Otoe-Missouria, among other tribal nations forcibly moved to the region such as the Shawnee, Wyandot, Delaware, Potawatomi, Sac and Fox and Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo) nations. We recognize and support the continued vibrancy of Native communities and cultures today who continue to thrive, as well as the inherent sovereignty of tribal nations. We are compelled to serve and advocate for these communities in accordance with our public mission.

Kemper Museum acknowledges and respects the diversity of Native people connected to this land today. Many recognize the land and all beings who live within it as relatives. We acknowledge the earth we inhabit, the waters of the Blue River, the Kansas River, the Missouri River, and the plants, animals, and people supported by them. 

We acknowledge our responsibility to be good caretakers of the land we occupy. 

Click here to learn more about our land acknowledgment process.

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The works featured in Lie. Sit. Stand. Be Still. suggest slowness, contemplation, silence, and rest. 

Lie. Sit. Stand. Be Still.

The works featured in Lie. Sit. Stand. Be Still. suggest slowness, contemplation, silence, and rest. Referencing a 1995 portfolio in the Kemper Museum’s collection, which include poetry by Michael McClure and lithographs by Robert Graham, Lie. Sit. Stand. Be Still. offers an invitation to the viewer. States of rest and pause are referenced and/or encouraged throughout the exhibition with figurative works from the Kemper Museum’s collection alongside meditative abstractions and imagery. This exhibition emphasizes restoration and temporal liminality as key to the human experience, both necessary and sublime.

The exhibition is organized by Amy Kligman, Independent Curator.

Dean Mitchell, Release Me, 1991. Oil on Masonite, 30 x 44 inches. Collection of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri. 1997.06.01. © Dean Mitchell. Photo: Dan Wayne.

Release Me

Cheonae Kim, Murmur, 2014. Acrylic and graphite on canvas, 30 1/8 x 30 inches. Collection of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri. Gift of the artist in honor of her parents and Zolla Lieberman Gallery. 2014.16. © Cheonae Kim. 

Murmur

Leonard Pryor, Relaxing, 1958. Oil on canvas, 30 x 23½ inches. Collection of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri. Gift of Renée Pryor Newton and Craig Pryor in loving memory of their parents Leonard and Maxine Pryor. 2022.1.4. © Renée Pryor Newton and Craig Pryor. Photo: E. G. Schempf, 2022.  

Relaxing

Featured Artworks

Inspired by the 2026 World Cup, Kemper Museum Chief Curator Jessica Hong created an exhibition exploring the artists, stories and city’s migration histories that reveal KC’s global roots

Inside a new Kansas City art exhibit inspired by World Cup & KC’s immigrants

Kemper Museum in Kansas City unveils World Cup-themed art exhibit

The World in Kansas City — Member Preview & Curator Conversation

Experience the Kemper Museum’s collections through the unique perspectives of Kansas City contemporary artists.

Beyond the Studio: Isaac Tapia

Visual artist, Juan Diego Gaucin will guide participants through an evening of studio-style drawing at Kemper Museum!

Studio Night: The World in Kansas City

Join Executive Director Jessica May for a casual gallery talk focused on current exhibitions, and stay for lunch at the museum's restaurant, Oil on Linen.

Director's Gallery Spotlight

Experience a deep dive into select artworks from The World in Kansas City exhibition through presentations by UMKC students.

UMKC Insights: Student Perspectives on The World in Kansas City

Ceramicist SunYoung Park will guide participants through a hands-on sculpture workshop at Kemper Museum!

In connection to exhibition The World in Kansas City, featured artist Hung Le will lead a hands-on indigo dye workshop that introduces its history, process, and various resist patterns.

The World in Kansas City: Indigo Dye with Hùng Lê

Join us for a film-screening of Heehyun Choi’s film, "A Motionless Movie" featured in exhibition, "The World in Kansas City"

The World in Kansas City: Film Screening with Heehyun Choi

Exhibitions are always free thanks to the generosity of members and other donors. Join or donate today to support free access to contemporary art.